Mass Effect: Legendary Editionis finally out, bringing players back to BioWare’s popular action RPG that began in 2007. The Legendary Edition features remastered versions of the first threeMass Effectgames, which have all become iconic games comprising one of BioWare’s most important video game franchises.
While all threeMass Effectgames have been revamped from graphics to gameplay, BioWare revealed that the firstMass Effectgame would have the most changes. Based on the screenshots shown by BioWare before theMass Effect: Legendary Edition’srelease, it is apparent that most changes are noticeable while some are subtle. Here’s a detailed comparison of the originalMass Effectvs.the Legendary Edition.
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Original Mass Effect vs. Legendary Edition Visual Changes
Although all three games are still running in Unreal Engine 3, theLegendary Editionfeatures better character models, textures, and lighting effects. These changes are most apparent onMass Effect 1, and its assets in the remastered version now look similar to its successors.TheLegendary Editionalso supports 4K resolution, making environments detailed and alive, and characters are now more realistic than they did in the original game.
One of the most significant changes introduced in the remaster ofMass Effect 1is the default appearance of female Shepard, which has now been replaced with her iconic look fromMass Effect 3. BioWare also carried over this change inMass Effect 2, sothe default female Shepardis now consistent across the entireLegendary Edition. Additionally, the UI of the game has been overhauled similar to what it looked like inMass Effect 2and3.
Original Mass Effect vs. Legendary Edition Gameplay and Performance Enhancements
As far as gameplay is concerned,the most significant change introduced in theLegendary Editionhas to do with Mako’s controls. In the originalMass Effect,the Mako’s controls were clunky, and theLegendary Editionintroduced some quality of life improvements to make it more bearable to control. Additionally, a dedicated melee button is also included in the remaster ofMass Effect 1and changes in the cover system.
Anotherwelcome change in theLegendary Editionof the firstMass Effectgame is autosave. In the original version, autosaves rarely happen, resulting in players feeling frustrated when going through a tricky part. Luckily for players, autosaves will frequently occur in the remaster. Furthermore, theLegendary Editionalso features significant improvements to AI. Enemies are now more intelligent, and companions should follow instructions better.
Thanks to the vast improvement in today’s gaming hardware, loading times are now faster than ever. In the originalMass Effect,long elevator rides were a staple in the series, as they were designed to hide loading screens. However, in theLegendary Edition,these elevator rides aren’t as long as they used to be. But, for players who still want to listen in on characters' conversations, they can still choose to listen to the rest of the dialogue once the level loads or skip it altogether.
Original Mass Effect vs. Legendary Edition Story Changes
Given that the purpose of the remaster is to bring improvements to the graphics and gameplay of the originals, the story remains the same. Apart from the main story campaign of each of the games, theLegendary Editionalso includes all released DLCs, so players will be able to play everythingMass Effecthas to offer. However, it is worth noting thatthe Pinnacle Station DLC fromMass Effect 1is not included in theLegendary Edition. As it turns out, the source code for this expansion was lost, and BioWare has no way to include it in the game unless the developers rebuild it from scratch. Unfortunately, BioWare didn’t have the time or resources to do this, so the studio decided to cut it out of the remaster.
While the loss of the Pinnacle Station DLC may be disappointing to some, it is worth knowing that the Bring Down the Sky expansion is included in the remaster. Similar to the story, the romance mechanic of the firstMass Effectgame remains unchanged. This means thatthe romance options in the remastered version ofMass Effectremain limitedin terms of inclusivity, given that the only character that can be romanced by both male and female Shepard is the Asari researcher, Dr. Liara T’Soni.
Mass Effect: Legendary Editionis out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
